Nobunari says he will have his knee checked by a doctor after returning to Japan. There's a possibility that he might withdraw from Japanese Nationals. :(

Originally Posted by skatinginbc

Oda has the softest, most admirable knees in the business. Injuring his knee is like a pianist without fingers or an arrow without the pointed head. I fear the possibility of a career-ending story.

If it's any consolation, it's Nobunari's left knee (not the landing one) that is injured; so the most problematic for him are the take-offs that put a lot of pressure on the left leg. He still plans to aim for Sochi.
I hope the injury isn't a career-ending one. He recovered his jumps pretty quickly after the surgery and seemed OK (for that stage of recovery) at CoC. I think he started practising quads a bit too soon, which aggravated the injury. I hope a proper rest will let him recover completely.

Oh, ack! I am very distressed to hear about Oda's knee. He's such a splendid skater, and it's dreadful to think of him having to bow out. I take hope from the fact that Daisuke has managed to come back after what sounds like an even worse injury. The Japanese men are so amazing. We can't spare a single one of them.

I posted a thread about Oda's knee injury back in May that received no attention. I believed the report that it wasn't so serious, requiring just rest to heal. Until now there have not been any follow up news in languages I know, so this is very disturbing though not shocking.

I didn't get to watch the K&C but my read of Oda's expression after the LP was, understandably, dispappointment and distress, not illness. I figured the only secret emotional turmoil to equal that which caused his Worlds 2010 meltdown would be if he had a mistress pregnant this time! Thus physical reason explains well what happened.

It would be the most unacceptable fate for the best knee in the business to suffer permenant damage and to have arguably the best jumper to lose the cooperation of his knee. I hope for and reasonably believe in his speedy and full recovery.

I figured the only secret emotional turmoil to equal that which caused his Worlds 2010 meltdown would be if he had a mistress pregnant this time!

Sorry for my English ability. What was the "secret emotional turmoil" that caused his Worlds 2010 meltdown? Do you mean his getting his wife pregnant?
By saying "if he had a mistress pregnant", are you implying he has a mistress somewhere? Or is that supposed to be an analogy or joke that I didn't get?
We all know he has a knee injury. So why did you suddenly bring up his "secret emotional turmoil" and then come to a conclusion (physical reason) that we already know?
I'm lost. I don't follow his story often, so do you mind briefly giving me some background knowledge in order to decode your message?

Sorry for my English ability. What was the "secret emotional turmoil" that caused his Worlds 2010 meltdown? Do you mean his getting his wife pregnant?
By saying "if he had a mistress pregnant", are you implying he has a mistress somewhere? Or is that supposed to be an analogy or joke that I didn't get?
We all know he has a knee injury. So why did you suddenly bring up his "secret emotional turmoil" and then come to a conclusion (physical reason) that we already know?
I'm lost. I don't follow his story often, so do you mind briefly giving me some background knowledge in order to decode your message?

According to Morozov's interview in Russia, Oda came to him during the Olympics in tears because his girlfriend had just informed him of her pregnancy. He didn't know how to break it to his mother who didn't even know of her. The emotional trouble boiled over to Worlds when he popped every jump in his SP and didn't even make it to the LP. Of course we know everything ended up really well. Nabu had actually expressed his desire to marry and have family a few years prior so it's now a wish come true. As a royal decendent, he did have to consider the protection of his child's heritage. I do feel bad for him to have such a career set back when he's sacrificing his personal life with his family by training in Canada.

I was of course joking about possible news equivalent in disturbing power, which I obviously never took seriously and do not intend to offer evidence or to spread as a real possibility.

Patrick Chan: Man, he was off. Like really really off. Even though he only fell once, I actually preferred what he did at the Japan Open (where he fell three times). Shrug. It’s still an amazing program and I suspect in a few years, it’ll be seen as Chan’s key program. What he’s trying to do here is amazing – I really hope he nails it this season. To be honest, I don’t even think he fought for it all that much either, nor have I seen his skating look so laboured. But those quads were just terrific.

Pogue, I think you are too severe on Patrick. Yes, his face looked pale and didn't have his usual good over all jumps, and fell on circular footworks. But he has maintained his beautiful choreograph and interpretation. His over all performance and execution was good. Not the best he can do, but very, very good. Maybe he didn't have the nenergy like he had in SC in the last sequence. But he was still able to take the audience into his program and to the climax in the end. Notice that the audience started to clap before he even finished his program?! Then the audience clapped lauder after the program with some yelling to show that they loved what he just did. I felt his power when I watch it.

I love the sparkles added on his red shirt. It goes well with the music. But still hate the stripes on the black pants. This program really is a masterpiece! I'd love to see it skated perfectly!

I think that is what the complaints are all about. There isn't any risk.

If you fall, you still win. What have you risked?

Would you reward a triple jump and fall, or a pop out single jump? Should they all go back to single jumps since that's low risk of falling. And by the way, a fall gets rewarded ONLY if the jump was fully rotated in which I find a lot of complainers like to ignore that fact.

IPogue and Bluebonnet, now that it is verified that Patrick skated in poor health, it's understandable that he labored through some parts of his LP, but definitely he did fight for it with all his might, contrary to comments of his lack of bravery as well as presumed boredom (not caring). The look of "desperation" was really the look of exhaustion. I'm glad the quick interpretations of his expressions and countenance are dispelled.

I sometimes appreciate Chan's flawed performance more on replay than live because his errors tend to be perceived in exageration by fans taken back by unexpected mistakes and by distractors ready to magnify them. I felt bad about his TEB performance, feeling he was somehow not well, and I didn't wish to rewatch it. I finally did watch the CBC video today because I wanted to hear Kurt's comments. I found myself enjoying and appreciating how well the program was actually skated and performed. His skating skills, viewed with the low camera work, is quite majestic, and he did not let up the energy of the program until the end in spite of his weakness from a few days of fever. I guess the judges did view it quite objectively without the invested emotions of fans and anti-fans.

Like the French lady commentator on his Worlds LP kept saying - Chapeau, mon gars! to the Worlds Champ.

Would you reward a triple jump and fall, or a pop out single jump? Should they all go back to single jumps since that's low risk of falling. And by the way, a fall gets rewarded ONLY if the jump was fully rotated in which I find a lot of complainers like to ignore that fact.

I'm not complaining. Just pointing out that the risk is small. If you try a "risky" move and fall, the penalty is not very great -- so why not go for it?

After seeing the men's program, I have come to the conclusion that the wrong things are being rewarded. Having a clean program now means nothing. Messy, obvious mistakes mean nothing if the mistake-maker does a couple of twizzles or throws his whole body into his footwork. Also, it has been set up that certain people are unbeatable. Under the old system, champions were held up, but if they skated poorly, they'd have a chance to be beaten. Not anymore.

It's no longer fun to watch, and after my cable dumps Unisports, I probably won't get to anyway. I don't think I'll subscribe to icenetwork or anything like that. What's the point?

If the CoP is fair, because it finally gives the right credit to edges and transitions, I'm glad. Maybe the right people always win, I don't know. But it's getting hard to watch.

I'm not complaining. Just pointing out that the risk is small. If you try a "risky" move and fall, the penalty is not very great -- so why not go for it?

I disagree about the risk being small. E.G. Takahashi certainly would gain quite a few points and possibly higher placements, even an Olympic Gold Medal, by substituting a triple for his quad, which usually rewards him around 2 - 3 points. That's why there are those who admire his determination and those who are puzzled by his stubbornness.